Low voltage lighting fixture



Jan. 1970 K. A. LARKIN 3, 9

LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed March 17, 1967 IA/VJ/VTOK Ken/191% IZ[ark/)7 Arram/anr United States Patent 3,491,231 LOW VOLTAGE LIGHTINGFIXTURE Kenneth A. Larkin, Los Alamitos, Califi, assignor to WemacCompany, Inglewood, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Mar. 17,1967, Ser. No. 624,062 Int. Cl. F21v 7/14 US. Cl. 24041.25 3 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lamp for use with a low voltage source hasa dual filament low voltage lamp bulb and a reflector having reflectivecircular bands surrounding the bulb. A three way switch is provided forenergizing the filaments individually or collectively. The reflector,electrical socket, lamp bulb, and switch are all contained in atruncated cone element having a larger open end and a smaller closedend.

The use of low voltage lighting systems is becoming more common becauseof the advantages of low voltage lighting systems over standardhousehold high voltage lighting systems. For example, the requirementsfor the installation of low voltage lighting systems are less stringentthan the requirements for the installation of high voltage lightingsystems. For example, the size of the electrical wiring and theinsulation required for low voltage lighting systems are simpler andless expensive than that required for the common type wiring now used inthe home. In addition to the increasing use of low voltage lightingsystems in the home, a common use for low voltage lighting systems is invehicles such as trailers and boats, since the low voltage lightingsystems may be driven directly 01f of the standard battery-generatorsystem used with the trailers and boats.

One drawback to the use of low voltage lighting systems is theunavailability of particular types of fixtures or lamps which may benecessary so as to produce desired lighting functions. For example, itis often desirable to have a variable amplitude lighting fixture so thatthe light output can be adjusted to a desired amplitude depending uponthe particular condition under which the lighting fixture is to be used.For example, the lighting fixture may have a first setting to producelow amplitude light output, usable as a night light or a running lightand other settings to provide for increased light.

It has been proposed to provide for a dual amplitude light outputlighting fixture by using a switch mechanism to adjust the voltagesupplied to the filament of the lamp in the lighting fixture. Thisstructure is relatively expensive since it is necessary to provide meansfor reducing the voltage. For example, some systems use tappedtransformers and other systems use voltage dividing networks. Anothermethod which has been proposed is the use of continuously variabledimmer mechanisms. In either case, the systems are relatively bulky andexpensive.

The present invention is directed to a low voltage lighting fixturewhich provides three levels of light output. Specifically, the presentinvention uses a commercially available l2-volt dual filament automobilelamp as the lamp portion of the lighting fixture and a three-way switchto selectively energize the filaments in the dual filament lamp.Heretofore, no one has thought that this type of an automobile lampcould be used in a low voltage lighting fixture With a three-way switch.The present invention, therefore, has the l2-volt dual filamentautomobile lamp connected into an electrical socket which receives thelamp and has the three-way switch connected to the electrical socket.The three-way switch then provides a selective energization of thefilaments so as to See energize the filaments individually andcollectively to provide the three levels of light output. The presentinvention also includes mounting the filament in a reflector havingreflective circular bands to concentrate the light output and whereinthe entire structure is mounted within a truncated cone so as to providea uniquely compact three-way low voltage lighting fixture.

A clearer understanding of the invention will be had with reference tothe drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows the three-way low voltage lighting fixture constructed inaccordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 illustrates the structure contained within the truncated coneshown in FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 1, a lighting fixture 10 includes a base 12. Two wires 14 and16 extend from the base 12 for connection to an appropriate low voltagepower source such as a 12-volt power source. A hollow upstanding member18 extends from the base 12. The wire 14 runs within the upstandingmember 18 and the wire 16 is connected to the base. A swivel joint 20 isattached to the upper portion of the upstanding member 18 and includes ahollow ball and socket so as to provide for freedom in motion at theupper end of the upstanding member 18.

A truncated cone member 22 is connected to the swivel joint 20. Thetruncated cone member 22 may, therefore, be swiveled about theupstanding member 18 through the use of the swivel joint 20. Theinternal construction of the lighting fixture included within thetruncated cone 22 may be seen in greater detail in FIGURE 2.

In FIGURE 2 an electrical socket 50 is used to receive a low voltagedual filament lamp 52, such as a l2-v0lt dual filament automobile lamp.The electrical socket 50 is spring loaded by a spring 62 and the dualfilament lamp 52 has a plug-in swivel-type base which includes outwardlyextending members 54 and 56. The electrical socket 50 includes openings58 and 60 to receive the extensions 54 and 56 thereby locking the dualfilament lamp within the electrical socket 50. The spring member 62contained in the electrical socket 50 provides for good contact of thelamp 52 within the socket 50.

A flange member 64 extends from one end of the electrical socket and isused to support a three-way switch 66. The three-way switch is connectedto the electrical socket through the use of wires 68 and 70. A knobmember 72 extends from the three-way switch 66 so as to provide controlof the three-way switch 66. Also, the wire 14 is connected to thethree-way switch 66 and the threeway switch 66 is connected to the wire16 through the metal housing of the lighting fixture 10.

A reflector 74 extends from the end of the electrical socket 50 oppositethe three-way switch 66 and surrounds the dual filament lamp 52. Thereflector 74 includes a plurality of reflective circular bands 76 toconcentrate the light energy produced by the dual filament lamp 52. Ascan be seen in FIGURE 1, the entire structure of the reflector 74,electrical socket 50, dual filament lamp 52 and three-way switch 66 iscontained within the truncated cone 22. The truncated cone 22 has alarge open end and the light energy is directed out of this open end andthe truncated cone 22 has a small closed end and the knob 72 extendsfrom the small end so as to provide for external control of thethree-way switch 66.

In the operation of the lighting fixture of the present invention, thewires 14 and 16 are connected to a low voltage source such as a l2-voltsource. The base 12 is mounted in the desired location and a 12-voltdual filament automobile lamp, such as the lamp 52, is inserted in theelectrical socket 50. The 12-volt dual filament automobile lamp is thetype used to provide a running night light plus a stop function inautomobiles and includes dual filament 78 and 80. The type of dualfilament lamp is particularly adapted for use in the lighting fixture ofthe present invention, and this type of lamp has never been used in alow voltage lighting fixture so as to provide for a three level lightoutput by the selective energization of the filaments individually andcollectively.

The filament 78 may be a low intensity filament and the filament 80 maybe a high intensity filament. When the three-way switch 66 is turned tothe first position, the filament 78 is energized so as to provide for alow intensity light output. When the three-way switch is turned. to thesecond position, the filament 78 is deenergized and the filament 80 isenergized so as to provide for an intermediate intensity light output.When the three-way switch 66 is turned to the third position, bothfilaments 78 and 80 are energized to provide for the high intensitylight output. Finally, the three-way switch may be turned to the offposition so as to deenergize the lighting fixture. The reflector 74provides for a concentration of the light energy produced by the dualfilament lamp 52 as as to maximize the light energy from the low voltagelighting fixture of the present invention.

The present invention, therefore, includes a novel threeway low voltagelighting fixture which uses a l2-volt dual filament automobile lamp. Thepresent invention satisfies a particular need in the low voltagelighting fixture field and satisfies this need simply and inexpensivelywhen compared with the prior art structures. It is to be appreciatedthat the present invention has been disclosed with reference to aparticular embodiment but that various adaptations and modifications maybe made. The invention is, therefore, only to be limited by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with a low voltage power source, a lighting fixture forreceiving a dual filament, low voltage lamp having contact areas forconnection with the dual filaments, including an electrical socket forreceiving the dual filament, low voltage lamp and including a pluralityof contacts for energizing the contact areas of the low voltage dualfilament lamp a three-Way electrical switch for connection to the lowvoltage source and electrically connected to the electrical socket forselectively energizing the filaments of the low voltage dualfilament'lamp with the low voltage to successively energize the dualfilaments individually and collectively and a reflector havingreflective circular bands surrounding the dual filament lamp and whereinthe reflector, electrical socket, dual filament lamp and three-wayelectrical switch are all contained in a truncated cone element having alarger open end and a smaller closed end.

2. The low voltage lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the low voltagedual filament lamp has a plug-in, swivel type base and the electricalsocket is spring loaded and designed to receive the plug-in, swivel typebase.

3. For use with a low voltage power source, a lighting fixture forreceiving a 12-volt, dual filament automobile lamp having a plug-in,swivel type base including a spring loaded socket for receiving the12-volt dual filament automobile lamp and including contacts forengaging contact portions of the plug-in, swivel type base;

a three-way electrical switch for connection to the low voltage powersource and electrically connected to the electrical socket forselectively energizing the filaments of the 12-vo1t dual filamentautomobile lamp with the low voltage to successively energize the dualfilaments individually and collectively;

a reflector having reflective circular bands surrounding the dualfilament lamp; and

a pivotally mounted truncated cone having an open end and a closed end,and wherein the reflector, electrical socket, 12-volt dual filamentlam-p and three-way -electrical switch are all contained in thetruncated cone.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,689,378 10/1928 Broughton240--41.25 1,738,426 12/1929 Finkelstein 24041.36 X 2,245,793 6/1941Kurlander 240-4l.25 2,885,539 5/1959 McDermott 24081 X 3,238,366 3/1966Schwartz 24081 X 3,263,069 7/1966 Krucki 240-81 X NORTON ANSHER, PrimaryExaminer MONROE H. HAYES, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

